SUPERVISORS APPROVE THE NEW COMPREHENSIVE IN STRAW VOTE ON JULY 14 MARKUP SESSION.

The REALLY BIG NEWS is that the Recommended Comp Plan probably will be approved with only one significant change (and if we make ourselves heard not even that one.) The Supervisors defeated ALL CHANGES to the recommended land use plan in Gainesville in the markup session (these are straw votes, but they are essentially assured now.) Supervisor Jenkins spoke at the beginning and made it clear that he would not vote for "...one more housing unit added to the plan." Supervisors Caddigan, Hill and Barg supported him on all "private requests." These were requests made by a land use attorney representing landowners mostly in Gainesville.

The increased Proffers were passed on 6-2 votes. Only Wilbourn voted against all of them. Five small changes were made in the Transportation Plan - Artemus Road Ext was deleted, the Bristow Road at 28 alignment was modified, Brentsville Road was downgraded to a permanent 2-lane road, the reference to Route 29 through the Manassas Battlefield Park was deleated and The WTC corridor put back on the map. Supervisor Wilbourn requested the removal of the Route 29 references. After the meeting he then said that removing that part of the Transportation plan would make a new 29 bypass along the Artemus Extension more likely.

A last minute proposal for the Bristow Sector was introduced by the Staff. Although Supervisor Thompson had been lobbying for changes in the Brentsville district, including this one, he did not introduce such a request. The proposed plan for Bristow would add 430 additional single family dwellings in a high density development to the Rural Area. The Staff proposal would result in the need for sewers, would increase traffic at the intersection of 28 and Linton Hall Road and would add 2.5 million dollars to the County's needed capital Improvements shortfall. It also could set a precedent for future requests of a similar nature in any part of the County where lower densities are desirable. Finally it circumvents the normal process for such a change which would be to submit it to the Planning Commission.

We believe that the Recommended Plan should be approved without this change. If the Bristow Sector Proposal is believed to be a worthwhile concept, it should be submitted to the Planning Commission for study and analysis. Such a plan needs to be subjected to an economic analysis of the type being done by Dr. Fuller for other substantial projects being contemplated by the County before it is given the imprimatur of approval by being introduced into the Comprehensive Plan.

Please express your disapproval of the change and request that the recommended plan be approved unchanged. Request that the Bristow Sector Proposal be submitted to the Planning Commission for consideration.

Contact:
Kathleen Seefeld 792-4640
Hilda Barg 792-4646
Mary Hill 792-4620
John D. Jenkins 792-4668
Maureen S. Caddigan 792-4665
David A. Rutherford 793-6463 (somebody buy this gentleman an e-mail account!)

FINAL APPROVAL IS SCHEDULED FOR AUGUST 4, 1998. WE NEED YOU TO ATTEND TO REMIND THE SUPERVISORS THAT WE HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN HOW IMPORTANT THIS ISSUE IS TO US. WE HAVE FOUGHT LONG AND HARD TO GET THIS FAR. BE THERE TO GIVE A RESOUNDING ROUND OF APPLAUSE AT THE FINAL VOTE FOR APPROVAL. THIS CAN BE A VICTORY THAT WILL MAKE OUR COUNTY AN EXAMPLE FOR MANY TO EMULATE. SEE YOU AT THE MCCOART BUILDING BOARD CHAMBERS ON AUGUST 4.

LATE BREAKING NEWS

Dr. Fuller has completed his economic analysis of the impact of the new plan. If anyone needed to be convinced of the soundness of this new plan this study a totally convincing case. If we had continued business as usual (The 1991 Comprehensive Plan) his analysis projects an annual budget deficit of $28.6 million by 2020. Using the same underlying assumptions with the new plan, the model projects a budget SURPLUS of $30.8 million by 2020. More details will be provide later.

Provided by Bob Moler

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